Celebrating 25 Years at Fundy Trail Provincial Park

1. Book a weekend Lumberjack Breakfast at the Cookhouse

Start your day with the hearty feed of a Lumberjack to fuel your adventures! Experience the morning of a woodsman preparing for a long day of grueling work as interpreters welcome you to the Cookhouse. Be sure to book your meal in advance!
 

2. Cross over Salmon River on the 84m/274ft Suspension Footbridge

The Salmon River Suspension Bridge is a big attraction at the parkway – and we do mean BIG! To access the popular footbridge, head to parking lot 8 near the Interpretive Centre and follow the Suspension Bridge Trail inland along the Big Salmon River. A short 5-minute walk will get you there in no time!
 

3. Watch the “Making of the Fundy Trail” video at the Interpretive Centre and learn how the park came into existence

The basic concept of the Fundy Trail was not only to create a connection between Fundy-St. Martins and Alma, but also to maximize the scenic vistas along the world-famous Bay of Fundy. Learn more at the Interpretive Centre with a viewing of the “Making of the Fundy Trail,” shown regularly with an interpretive talk on Tuesdays or upon request.
 

4. Attend a performance of “Off to the Woods”

Join seasoned performers Don Rigley and Michelle Daigle, of Frantically Atlantic, for an interactive experience that introduces you to the daily life of a lumberman at Big Salmon River. Learn to be a sawyer at the portable sawmill, then relax at the Cookhouse Corner Shindig and hear the music shanty men made to entertain themselves during long winter nights. Performance dates can be found here - book your performance 24 hours in advance to guarantee a spot!
 

5. Hike to a waterfall

The Fundy Trail is home to four unique waterfalls. Ignore the advice of TLC and spend your afternoon chasing waterfalls at the park! Short on time? Fuller Falls is the easiest to access and requires the shortest amount of time to get to.

6. Book a one-hour guided tour with First Nations Storytellers

Discover the local history of the Wolastoqi and Mi’kmaq peoples from a unique Indigenous point of view while meandering along the tides of the Bay of Fundy. Papga’sit: Down the Coast Guided Tours by First Nations Storytellers gets back to the Earth and its many gifts, while letting participants enjoy the spectacular views of the Fundy Trail Park. Find scheduled tour dates here - be sure to book 48 hours in advance to guarantee your reservation! 

7. Take the Flower Pot Scenic Footpath and learn how the tides shape our coastline

The Flower Pot Scenic Footpath begins at the Fownes Head Lookout. Walk down the stairs and follow the path for magnificent views of the Bay or book a guided hike and picnic on Mondays (be sure to book at least 24 hours in advance).

8. Learn about the flora and fauna of the Protected Natural Area at the Walton Glen Reception Centre

The Walton Glen Reception Centre’s staff are ready to answer all your questions on hiking trails, and the flora and fauna found in the park. Stay awhile and learn more about the Walton Glen Gorge history and geology.

9. Visit the Sea Captains’ Burial Ground and learn about the Melvin and Fownes families

Follow the Sea Captains’ Burial Ground Footpath to come across two family burial plots. The Fownes and Melvin families settled along the Bay of Fundy shores even before the Quaco-St. Martins settlement in 1783. Both families were shipbuilders and captains, building a total of 32 ships between 1820 and 1864, and sailing the world from the Bay of Fundy to Europe, Africa, India, Australia and the Pacific Coast of the United States. They married, raised their families in Fundy-St. Martins, and more than 45 individuals from their families are buried in the two restored cemeteries.

10. Test your strengths on a section of the Fundy Footpath – rated one of the Top 50 Hiking Trails in the World by Explore Magazine

The Fundy Footpath is separate from the Fundy Trail Park, but 18 km of the trail falls within park limits. The footpath is a challenging wilderness trail that starts at the Big Salmon River Suspension Bridge and hugs the coastline to the boundaries of Fundy National Park. Four to five days is recommended to complete the entire trail or spend a day testing your strength on a section of the footpath!

11. Explore areas only accessible at low tide on The Art of Water guided tour

Hike the littorals of the Bay of Fundy and experience one of the many hidden secrets of the Fundy Trail Park. Immerse yourself in an environment dominated by fluvial geomorphic processes that have carved remarkable waterfalls, beaches, and cliffs. Explore this area of constantly changing earth dynamics and view the Fundy Trail Park like you’ve never seen it before. Book 24 hours in advance to guarantee your guided hiking experience. 

12. See the tidal range at Long Beach

One of the top places in Canada to witness and experience a spectacular horizontal tide is at Long Beach! At low tide, the beach extends for half a kilometer into the Bay of Fundy, exposing a two-and-a-half-kilometer long shoreline and a large swath of ocean floor perfect for exploring.

13. Log your flora and fauna finds on the Fundy Trail iNaturalist page

iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Log your biodiversity finds on the Fundy Trail’s page to contribute to the research and conservation of the Park.

14. Take in the sounds of local performers with the Concert on the Green series

Every Sunday through July and August, head to The Green in P6 at 2PM for concerts on The Green. Concerts are complimentary – don’t forget to bring your lawn chair!

15. Learn how to read a tide clock at the Big Salmon River Interpretive Centre or at Long Beach

Stop in at the Interpretive Centre for a lesson on how to read a tide clock and put your new skills to work at Long Beach.

16. Enjoy Molasses and Tea at the Cookhouse

Sip on King Cole tea and taste a famous Fundy Trail molasses cookie. Relax as your guide takes you back in time and shares the unique connection between tea, Crosby’s molasses and the shipbuilding industry. Book a minimum of 24 hours ahead to reserve your spot!

17. Stop at Fox Rock Lookout

When entering the parkway from the western entrance near St. Martins, Fox Rock is the first lookout where you can catch a glimpse of the magnificent Bay of Fundy! Once parked in the gravel lot, follow the short trail up the hill to arrive at the lookout. This location is an excellent vantage point for Isle Haute, with its dramatic high rocky cliffs, as well as the cliffs on the west side of the park all the way to Quaco Head Lighthouse.

18. See pictures of life in the community of Big Salmon River during the late 1880’s at the Interpretive Centre

The building housing the Interpretive Centre is a re-creation of the bunkhouse which once housed the single men who worked and lived there. In the late 1800s and well into the mid-1950s, Big Salmon River was a flourishing logging, fishing, and shipbuilding community. The Interpretive Centre houses many displays of original artifacts and old photographs from the era when the paternalistic Pejepscot Paper Company provided housing, a schoolhouse, community centre, and even electricity for the settlement at Big Salmon River.

19. Learn about the life of a lumberjack through pictorial displays at the Cookhouse

The Heritage Cookhouse was built as a replica of the community buildings of the late 1800s. Cookhouses were important buildings to the hardworking lumbering community and were often the scene of many Saturday social events and dances. Visiting the Fundy Trail Heritage Cookhouse gives you a snapshot into the past and a historic vision into life as a lumberjack.

20. See samples of all three igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock types at Long Beach

While some rock formations in the park are more than 500 million years old, their stories are much more recent! Visit Long Beach to see samples of all three rock types.

21. Hike to the Walton Glen Gorge Observation Deck to see what glaciers carved

Located in the Little Salmon River Natural Protected area adjacent to the park, the Walton Glen Observation Deck lets you peer deep down into the Walton Glen Gorge.

22. Take a picture from the Interpretive Centre Lookout

Travel past Cranberry Brook Lookout and take the next pullover on the right – this area overlooks the Interpretive Centre, the river delta, the Mitchell Franklin Bridge and the suspension footbridge. You’ll have an incredible view of the Interpretive Centre that some say reminds them of a fairy tale setting.

23. Hike a trail you’ve never hiked before

Are you looking for a short, easy stroll on a wide trail, or a longer more challenging hike on a footpath? The Fundy Trail Park has many trails to fit your fitness level and time requirements. Try something new and pick a trail you’ve never explored before.

24. Get to know the designated “Amazing Places” in the park, part of the Fundy Biosphere Region

Discover the rich flora and fauna found with the Fundy Trail. Part of the Fundy Biosphere Region, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park has an abundance of plants and wildlife. Learn about the animals that make this park their home and the common plants that are found here. You might be surprised to come across some of them during your visit while you explore this special area along the Bay of Fundy Coast.

25. Learn about Stonehammer Global Geopark and the birthplace of the Atlantic Ocean

The Fundy Trail Park is part of Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark, a designated area of Southern New Brunswick that is recognized for its exceptional geological heritage. The rock outcrops along the Fundy Trail expose both Precambrian to Cambrian rocks near the Mitchell Franklin Bridge at Big Salmon River, and Triassic age rocks along the coast to the west. Come learn about the birth of the Atlantic Ocean!

While exploring the park, be sure to check out the 25^th anniversary celebrations taking place on Saturday, August 26^th. More information can be found here. 

Purchase your one day pass at the entrance to the park or your 5-day pass here.